SAS configuration details

Apply these Storwize® V3500 configuration details for serial-attached SCSI (SAS) host connections.

SAS connections require a direct attachment from the host to a Storwize V3500 system. The host and the system cannot be attached via a SAS switch.

To ensure continuity during failover scenarios, directly attach each host to both system canisters. Use a multipathing device driver on the host to provide a redundant connection to mapped volumes.

Subsystem Device Driver Device Specific Module (SDDDSM) is required for SAS Microsoft Windows hosts. For information about SDDDSM, search for Support Matrix for Subsystem Device Driver at the following site:

www.ibm.com/support/portal/overview

The Multipath Subsystem Device Driver user's guides are at this site:

www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ssg1S7000303

SAS port speed and mapping

The SAS host ports on node canisters can operate at 6 Gbps.

Using the management GUI to configure SAS host attachment

To configure SAS host attachment by using the management GUI, first select Hosts > Hosts > Add Hosts and then select SAS for the host connection.

Using the CLI to configure SAS host attachment

To configure SAS host attachment on your system by using the CLI, complete the following steps:
  1. Run the lsportsas command to locate the SAS WWPNs on each operating system.
  2. Run the appropriate operating system command:
    • On Linux, run cat /sys/class/sas_phy/phy-*/sas_address|sort|uniq
    • On Microsoft Windows Server, run the sas2flash utility: ./sas2flash -list
  3. Run the lssasportcandidate command to detect the WWPNs associated with the host that is to be added.
  4. Create the host:
    mkhost -saswwpn wwpn_list
    The WWPNs are 16-character hexadecimal strings that are separated by colons.